Mailbox signal flag

ABSTRACT

A signal flag is supported on the mailbox in position to have the flag-supporting spring standard bent into a loop when the extending free end is secured in position to be released when the closure door of the container box is opened to indicate that mail has been delivered. When the door is closed, after the delivered mail is removed, the end of the standard is again secured in releasable position.

United States Patent Inventors David Sturtz 816 Huron St., Port Huron, Mich. 48060; John R. Moulton, 4187 Fourlake Drive, Linden, Mich. 48451 Appl. No. 5,532

Filed Jan. 26, i970 Patented Nov. [6, 1971 MAILBOX SIGNAL FLAG 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 232/35 Int. Cl A47g 29/12 Field oi Search 232/35, 34,

Primary Examiner- Francis K. Zugel AtmrneyHarncss, Dickey & Pierce ABSTRACT: A signal flag is supported on the mailbox in position to have the flag-supporting spring standard bent into a loop when the extending free end is secured in position to be released when the closure door of the container box is opened to indicate that mail has been delivered. When the door is closed, after the delivered mail is removed, the end of the standard is again secured in releasable position.

MAILBOX SIGNAL FLAG SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The signal flag of the present invention is automatic in operation for moving to an erect position for indicating that mail has been delivered to the mail box. A standard of thin spring material has attaching means on one end which is readily secured to a locking strap on the container which secures the mating strap on the closure door when in closed position. An indicating flag of cloth, plastic or other material is secured adjacent to the free end of the standard, the free end being arcuately bent to form a releasing earn. After the mail is removed from the box and the door is closed, the cam end is then moved down and inserted into aligned apertures through the engaged straps on the box and the door. This moves the standard from a straight vertical position to a bowed position, which applies spring pressure on the cam end. When the strap on the door is pulled outwardly to open the door, the cam end is released and the standard moves to a vertical position from which the flag is readily visible to indicate that the mail has been delivered. The securing means is a strip of metal which is riveted, welded or otherwise secured to the attaching end of the standard. The strip has the ends reversely bent and retained in converging relationship so that itcan extend over a vertical flange on the end of the strap secured to the box and retained fixed thereto when the converging ends are moved into aligned relation against the flange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a view of a mail box having a signal flag thereon embodying features of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the structure in FIG. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof. and

FIG. 3 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 3-3 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The mail box 11 is of conventional form having a container portion 12 and a closure door I3 secured by a pair of pivots 14 to the open end of the container portion. The container portion 12 has a securing strap 15 attached thereto by rivets I0 and extending forwardly thereof and having the outer end bent upwardly to provide an upwardly extending flange 16. A strap 17 is secured by rivets 18 to the closure door I3 in position to mate with the strap 15, both of these straps having arcuate sections I9 therein which engage each other when the closure door is in closed position. A forward end of the strap 17 has a downwardly extending flange 21 which is engaged by a finger to open the door. As illustrated in FIG. 2, both of the straps have an aperture 22 therethrough in aligned relation which may be employed for the insertion of a hasp of a lock for securing the closure door in locked position.

The signal flag embodies a standard 23 of thin spring material which has a readily bendable transversely extending strap 24 secured at right angles thereto by welding, riveting or the like. The ends 25 of the strap 24 are reversely bent to a position illustrated in FIG. 2 where the ends are in converging relation relative to each other. This permits the strap 24 to be moved downwardly over the upwardly extending flange 16 of the strap 15 so that the ends 25 may be flattened against the flange by a pair of pliers or the like. This rigidly secures the strap to the flange with the standard 23 disposed in vertical position, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Near the free end of the standard 23. a flag 26 of cloth plastic or other suitable material is secured in a well-known manner by adhesive. clips or the like. At the upper free end of the standard 23 the material is formed into arcuate shape to provide a cam end 27. Upon removing the delivered mail from the container portion 12 of the box 11 and the closure door I3 has been moved to closed position with the straps l5 and 17 in engaged position. as illustrated in the figures. the cam end 27 of the standard 23 is moved downwardly and disposed within the ali ed a rtures 22 as illustrated more specifically in FIGS. and ThlS retains the standard in bowed position as illustrated in dot and dash line in FIG. I, with the flag 26 located adjacent to the top of the mail box 11. When the postman opens the box to deliver mail, he will pull outwardly on the flange 21 of the straps 17 to open the closure door 13. The relative movement of the edges of the apertures 22 will move the cam end 27 to released position causing the standard to snap upwardly into vertical position to provide indication that mail had been delivered to the mail box. By this arrangement a signal is provided automatically through the action of the postman in opening the mail box to deliver mail thereto. Pivoted flags have been provided heretofor, which requires the manual setting thereof by the postman but no reliance can be had that he will perform the act of moving the flag to a position indicating the mail had been delivered.

It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the cam end 27 is not only of arcuate shape longitudinally of the standard but is also arcuately shaped conforming to the circular shape of the aperture 22 as illustrated at 28.

We claim:

I. A signal flag for a mail box having a pair of engaging locking arms respectively secured to the container portion and the closure door, said arms having a vertical flange on the end extending in opposite directions and having aligned apertures, a standard of spring material which is readily bendable, means attached to the bottom end of the standard which secures the standard to the vertical flange on the end of the arm secured to the container portion, the free end of the standard being insertable in said aligned apertures when the standard is bowed to exert a pressure on the end which retains it in said aperture, and a flag on the standard adjacent to said free end.

2. A signal flag for a mail box as recited in claim 1. wherein the free end of the standard is arcuately shaped longitudinally thereof to provide a cam end which is moved by the edge of the aperture in the arm on the door when the door is moved to open position for releasing the cam end from the aligned apertures in the arms.

3. A signal flag for a mail box as recited in claim 1. wherein said attaching means is a transversely disposed strap secured to the end of the standard with the ends of the strap reversely bent to form-locking arms which when the strap is positioned downwardly over the flange are bent thereagainst to firmly anchor the standard thereto.

4. A signal flag for a mail box as recited in claim 2, wherein the cam end is arcuately shaped laterally following the circular shape of the aligned apertures.

1U i l t 

1. A signal flag for a mail box having a pair of engaging locking arms respectively secured to the container portion and the closure door, said arms having a vertical flange on the end extending in opposite directions and having aligned apertures, a standard of spring material which is readily bendable, means attached to the bottom end of the standard which secures the standard to the vertical flange on the end of the arm secured to the container portion, the free end of the standard being insertable in said aligned apertures when the standard is bowed to exert a pressure on the end which retains it in said aperture, and a flag on the standard adjacent to said free end.
 2. A signal flag for a mail box as recited in claim 1, wherein the free end of the standard is arcuately shaped longitudinally thereof to provide a cam end which is moved by the edge of the aperture in the arm on the door when the door is moved to open position for releasing the cam end from the aligned apertures in the arms.
 3. A signal flag for a mail box as recited in claim 1, wherein said attaching means is a transversely disposed strap secured to the end of the standard with the ends of the strap reversely bent to form-locking arms which when the strap is positioned downwardly over the flange are bent thereagainst to firmly anchor the standard thereto.
 4. A signal flag for a mail box as recited in claim 2, wherein the cam end is arcuately shaped laterally following the circular shape of the aligned apertures. 